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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · wave · toast · game · spell · stock · rest · bay

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stock — shares
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. toast — bread
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cap — of ice
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com